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Smoking prevalence in adults

Why this indicator is important

Smoking is a major cause of illness and premature death among the NSW population.

Quitting smoking is an important way to improve a person’s health.

Even people who have just been diagnosed with cancer can benefit from quitting. Evidence suggests that quitting at this time can improve a person’s response to treatment, reduce the side-effects of treatment, reduce the risk of cancer recurrence, and increase overall survival.[1,2]

About this indicator

This indicator includes adults aged over 16 years in NSW who reported smoking daily or occasionally.

The graph below shows the proportion of the total NSW population who reported smoking each year, between 2007-2016.

In 2016, the adult smoking rate in NSW was 15.0%.

Note: These data were the latest available at the time they were extracted (July 2017). For the most recent population health data, visit HealthStats NSW.

Smoking prevalence in adults*, trend, NSW, 2007–2016**

N = Number of survey respondents

* Persons aged 16 years and over.
** Mobile phone numbers have been included in the survey sample since 2012. Any significant differences observed between 2011 and 2012 estimates should be interpreted with caution, as they may reflect both real and survey design changes.

Notes:
1. Data source: NSW Population Health Survey (sourced from HealthStats NSW, Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health. Available at: www.healthstats.nsw.gov.au). Data presented here are based on data available on the HealthStats NSW website at the time of data extraction.
2. Proportions are weighted and the actual number of respondents are not weighted.

References:
1. United States Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking – 50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, Ga: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/50-years-of-progress (accessed Jan 2018).